A Burlington County judge decided last week that Edward Forchion, better and legally known as NJ Weedman, had paid his debt to society and resentenced him to time served.

Forchion had been serving his 270-day sentence in spates of 20 days followed by breaks of 10 days so he could obtain the marijuana he needs to ease the pain of cancer.

It was not a covert operation.

Everyone involved with Weedman’s case knew exactly what he was doing. His sentence was staggered to accommodate a regimen that included regular visits to California to obtain medical marijuana.

Going back and forth to jail, however, meant he could not work enough to raise the fare to the West Coast. And without insurance or the patience for entry into New Jersey’s medical marijuana program, Forchion presumably found what he needed to dull his pain through other avenues.

He was in possession of marijuana while serving time for his crime of possessing marijuana.

It’s another example of illogic in the laws spawned by “Reefer Madness” that make about as much sense as the Volstead Act that outlawed alcohol.

Just like in those Prohibition days, anyone with connections and money is able to circumvent the law. And while usage rates are comparable among blacks and whites, black users are about three times more likely to be arrested on charges of possessing marijuana in New Jersey.

A while back, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Trenton) introduced a measure to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, making the offense similar to getting a parking ticket.

Last month, state Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) ratcheted up legislative ambitions with his proposal to make recreational use of pot legal, as Colorado and Washington state have done.

There’s support for that plan; this week, a Fairleigh Dickenson poll found that about 40 percent of those New Jersey voters surveyed say marijuana should be legalized. That’s more than those who say they favor online gambling.

We don’t anticipate legalization anytime soon, but we urge lawmakers to take another look at Gusciora’s plan to do away with the draconian punishment — up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine, a six-month driver’s license suspension, hundreds of dollars in penalties and a criminal record — for possessing a single joint.

Decades ago, when Weedman began his crusade for legalization of pot, his was a voice in the wilderness. With a steadily growing chorus, it’s time for New Jersey officials to pay more attention to this issue.